Most dental practices up to the present use proprietary imaging systems, also known as “closed” systems, which exclusively use dental hardware and software from a single company brand. Proprietary dental systems, although efficient and popular, prohibit dentists from sharing dental information such as general patient information (name, date, address), dental records, and now more commonly, digital impressions.

The Disadvantages of the Proprietary System

At first, this inability to share patient information probably sounds appropriate, considering patient confidentiality. But you’ll probably come across problems when you need a group analysis for a specific patient condition. You don’t have the option to forward a patient’s impression or radiographic images to a professional colleague to get valuable input.

In addition, if a patient relocates or needs to see a specialist, you can’t digitally forward their records unless their new specialist has the same company brand of processing, milling, and internet software as you do. With a proprietary practice, the current dentist is required to find an alternate way to forward information, which usually includes a lot of paperwork and time.

As a result, proprietary systems force you to invest in only specific company brands. If your office accidentally purchases the wrong system, you’ve completely wasted that investment. Each practice is extremely limited to which pieces of equipment it can purchase.

Collaboration | Dental Image Accessories

The Advantage of Interoperability Systems

Interoperability systems, or “open” systems, provide the perfect solution, allowing you to easily share digital information among all other open systems. Some additional advantages:

Patients receive the best available care

Dental offices purchase only the best, most efficient equipment pieces

You can collaborate on a patient’s diagnosis

Patients can have their dental records easily forwarded to a specialist or their new dentist in the event that they change locations

The AHA, American Dental Association, is making strides to ensure all systems are open to digital sharing. Interoperability systems work the best when dental offices purchase only open systems, offering greater collaboration among practices and a wider patient reach. Hopefully we’ll continue to see practices purchase only “open” interoperability systems. The AHA as well as the IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise) are working together to help dentists like you choose only interoperability systems.

Dental Image Accessories

As always, if you are looking to purchase affordable dental image accessories that accommodate your specific dental imaging system, we are happy to provide you products and services. Feel free to chat online or call to ask for a quote!

As your Barrier Envelopes Provider, We Want to Offer you some Suggestions that Could Help Keep your Patients in Touch

Many patients don’t realize the significance of missing a dental appointment. The consequences are twofold:

Your dental practice loses revenue in rented space and lost time.

The patient’s dental condition may worsen in the time it takes to reschedule.

But when you send appointment reminders, you can significantly increase show-up statistics.

Benefits of Sending Appointment Reminders:

Decrease the number of no-shows

Barrier Envelopes

Probably the most obvious advantage, sending reminders increases the number of kept appointments. The Dental Tribune averages a 23% increase of show-ups when practices make an effort to remind patients to confirm their appointments.

Increase dentist-patient relationship by showing an interest on individual preferences.

In today’s technology-advanced society, patients can choose between text, email, phone call, postcard, or all of the above for their appointment reminders. When your patients get options for their dental appointment reminders, they see your concern for their personal expectations. They’ll see that you want to provide the services that they both need and want.

Barrier Envelopes

Decrease your secretary’s responsibilities

Automated messaging will ease your secretary’s list of duties. According to Sesame Communications, 97% of dental patients prefer texting or emailing to getting a phone call – one less task your secretary has to worry about.

Many software programs for dentist offices now offer automated appointment reminders. For example, Lighthouse360, Clienttell, and Great Expressions are all capable of contacting your patients for reminders.

What’s the Most Popular Dental Trend of 2015?

We provide Dental Phosphor Plates

Many well-known dental practitioners are excited about all the recent advances in technology. These advances continue to excel their practice by saving processing/workflow time and by maximizing profits.

One of the most important technological advances is better communication within their practice. Dentists can now keep their entire staff on the same page, reach out to patients, and maintain regularly updated patient records.

So what are some ways you can use technology to advance YOUR dentist practice?

1. Digital Technology

Thanks to advances in digital technology, dental practitioners can better record patient records. All of a patient’s dental information–his drug allergies, dental work history, medications he’s taking–is a mere click away. Those records can be instantly updated at any time. In addition, if clients relocate or are referred to a specialist, their dental information can be forwarded instantly to the new practitioner.

2. Social Media

Dentists now understand the importance of establishing a social media presence (via websites, Facebook, and LinkedIn) to connect with their patients. They can also use social networks to increase their patient reach. Their patients can stay informed of the latest dental trends and schedule appointments for their next dental checkup all online.

3. Blogging

Dental practitioners share their insight and experience on blogs, online journals, and news articles. Dr. Robert Pauley reports that he has already seen examples of dental practitioners sharing knowledge about patient treatments. They can promote awareness of new innovations, helping one another incorporate the most recent dental discoveries. They can also share recommendations for dental software, equipment, and appliances with one another.

Dental imaging is expanding to unprecedented levels. We’re excited to see the changes that will increase your practice. And with this groundbreaking technology, you’ll be able to enjoy increased ease of access, decreased workflow time, and quick reference for patient records. As always, we’re here to accommodate your growing practice and supply all your dental imaging accessories, systems, and equipment. Call 800-528-6311 if you have any questions or would like a free quote!

Everyone makes mistakes, but when it comes to dental radiographic images, you’re allowed little margin for error. Dental imaging mistakes will lead to at least three consequences:

You’ll have to retake the images, which exposes the patient to more radiation.

You’ll waste equipment and time, which in essence is money.

You’ll encourage inaccurate diagnosis.

Dental Imaging: Projection Mistakes

So what are the most common dental imaging mistakes to avoid?

Most mistakes are fairly simple to avoid if you stay alert.

Projection Mistakes:

Projection mistakes occur when the patient isn’t adequately prepared for the imaging process. All metal objects will show up on the dental imaging plate and obstruct the view of interest. To prepare the patient, request that he/her remove all facial obstacles like earrings, necklaces, hearing aids, and glasses.

Exposure Mistakes

Low Density

High Density

Exposure mistakes are directly related to varying densities. If the image has a high density of radiation, the image will appear mostly black with indistinguishable shadows. On the flip side, if the image has a low density, it’ll appear washed out and pale. To promote accurate diagnosis, ensure the exposure is correct before taking the images.

Processing Mistakes

Dirty imaging processing equipment will also lead to errors. Artifacts like fingerprints, dust particles, scratches, and static electricity leave behind patterns that can be confused with oral diseases. Make sure all your equipment is properly cleaned after frequent use.

Processing Mistakes

So keep these mistakes in the back of your mind when you’re conducting the next imaging procedure. However, if your dental imaging equipment is outdated or overused, there’s a risk your images will still come out faulty even if you conduct the process perfectly. For all your radiology accessory needs, we are here to help!

What do you do when potential patients can’t afford dental care? One survey reports that in a single year, the number of people eligible for dental insurance decreased 5.7%. Perhaps their income is too low to afford self-pay, they can’t acquire PPO or HMO plans, or their employee benefit package doesn’t include dental insurance coverage. Everyone needs dental care to prevent serious conditions like metabolic syndrome and cancer. So what can you do to help?

Dental offices provide various options to help low-income families. Does your office implement any of these suggestions to increase your patient load?

Installment Plans

Instead of having the patient pay the entire bill right away, allow monthly increments. Offering interest-free financing gives your patients a chance to pay for already-existing dental conditions as well as cosmetic procedures. Your patients won’t be intimidated by large dollar signs that they see at the outset; they are more likely to accept bite-size monthly sums.

Government Assistance

Make sure low-income patients know if they qualify for government-sponsored programs, namely Medicaid or State Aid. Many children in particular can apply for dental coverage with CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). Adult policies vary from state to state.

Set a Sliding Scale

Offer your patients a plan that is tailored to fit their income. That way, they’ll pay according to what they can afford. But if you do choose to incorporate this type of payment, be sure to notify local charity organizations, those committed to improving the community. Many people search for sliding scale practices through these charitable organizations. Make sure you get the word out!

Offer a Discount Plan

You can provide a yearly membership plan that rewards participants discounts for dental work throughout the year. They can pay a yearly membership sum that gives them anywhere from 15-60% off.

We want to do our best to keep your dental practice as affordable as possible. That’s why we provide low-cost dental imaging accessories such as imaging plates, barrier envelopes, and dental cassette repair. Call 800-528-6311 for a free quote and full listing of our products. Good luck with your patient reach!

Dental Imaging; How You Can Keep Kids Occupied During Dental Appointments

Dental Imaging & Supplies

Kids are unpredictable. They don’t always understand when/where/why they need to be well-behaved and quiet. So when you have a parent-patient arrive to your dentist office for his/her regular cleaning, what can you do with the little kids they bring with them? You don’t want to leave them unsupervised, but neither can you depend on your hygienist or secretary to babysit (unless you significantly increase the job description … and the pay).

Well, here are some ways you can keep children supervised, safe, and happily secluded while they wait for their parents during the dental imaging process and cleaning:

A Place by the Dentist Chair

You can eliminate the lack of supervision by adding a place for the child beside the dentist chair. That way, while the parent gets his/her dental work completed, the child can sit and watch, never leaving the parent’s side. An extra benefit: you’ll get to know your patients on a personal level, knowing to prepare the cleaning room with an extra chair before certain patients arrive. Helpful Tip: choose your largest cleaning room for the additional chair so dental hygienists don’t feel cramped when they perform their procedures.

Children’s Books

Despite the continual shift to technology, many children still love to read simple books, from cover-board books to I-Can-Read chapter books. Some parents are so busy they seldom have time to read to their kids, but if both have to wait for some time in the reception room anyway, give them some quality reading time!

Play Area

Kids don’t have to dread a visit to the dentist. Get them to look forward to it! How? Set aside some space in the reception room specifically for them. You can incorporate kid-sized furniture and quiet toys like coloring books, crayons, and stuffed animals. The only precaution: as with any nursery/play area, remember to give the toys a good cleaning on a regular basis. Set up a regular cleaning schedule so the kids can play with sanitary, clean toys anytime they visit.

TV

A quick solution–and the most popular–is installing a tv in the reception room of your office. Many dental offices already have a tv installed for adult patients, but maybe the waiting room needs one for the younger crowd as well. But if one is all you have, just remember to have the secretary change the channel to a kid-friendly station whenever she sees kids waiting.

Hopefully we’ve given you some good ideas for entertaining children while they wait for their parents in the reception room. If you have any further questions, contact RC Imaging at 1-800-528-6311. We’d be thrilled to hear from you! We’re your one-stop radiology resource for dental imaging supplies and cassette repair.

Dental imaging equipment is a critical part of today’s modern dental practice. With quality images, dentists can make accurate diagnoses or identify potential problems in the early stages of dental disease. They can obtain dental images using traditional film, computed radiology, or digital radiography.

Three Dental Imaging Processes

Film

Film radiography undergoes the typical exposure process and is then developed in the dark room with chemistry. Although many dental practices still use radiographic film, more are converting to CR or DR.

CR

Computed radiography (CR) uses almost the exact same equipment as film; the only difference is it replaces film with imaging plates that use storage phosphor (or photostimulated phosphor) and does not require chemical processing.

DR

Digital imaging reduces the time necessary to process each dental image. The xrays are uploaded instantly onto computer software. Since they’re automatically stored online by the computer, they save space within the dentist office. They can be accessed at any time, so the records are always up to date.

Modern dental imaging equipment reduces radiation exposure for all patients. With digital imaging, the patient receives the same amount of radiation a person receives from regular environmental radiation in a few days.

Dental Imaging Views

Bitewing dental xrays capture the posterior oral view, concentrating on the crowns to determine the presence or absence of cavities and other complications. The Periapical view shows the tooth from the root to the crest to determine the cause of a single toothache, revealing the bone that surrounds a certain tooth. The Occlusal view shows the roof or floor of the mouth and the very tops of the teeth, but isn’t included in a typical dental imaging procedure.

RC Dental is dedicated to provide high quality imaging equipment for your dental practice. Our mission statement represents our commitment to our valued customers. We stand by our products whenever we distribute, service, and maintain your dental equipment. If you have any questions concerning dental imaging products, give us a call and we’ll gladly help in any way we can!

As we at RC Dental compile our extensive list of accessories, we make sure to include high quality dental positioning aids, which help x-ray technicians and dentists perform perfectly positioned dental x-rays. We understand the importance of quality x-ray images, which is why we provide only the most dependable positioning aids that allow you to take quality images in a single shot. We know skewed x-ray images are difficult to read, so we make sure you have the equipment you need to take precise images that clearly show the information you need to know about your patient’s condition.

Our Options for Positioning Aids

We hold two options for positioning aids: our Rapid Aiming Ring is manufactured for the anterior and entire bitewing of your patient’s mouth. Our Smart Posterior Aiming Ring is for the back of the mouth so that you can take the x-rays comfortably and easily. We want your patients to be at ease and relaxed while they have their x-rays taken, so our positioning aids allow you to take the x-rays as promptly as possible. Both of our positioning aids decrease the potential of retakes since they ensure clear images during the first shot. Fewer retakes means patients are exposed to a lesser dosage of radiation.

Great Savings

We provide both positioning aids at a low cost so that you can capture all necessary images without spending a fortune. Our positioning aids save you money not only by the initial cost but also by decreasing the number of retakes. As always, your needs are our priority, and that includes your savings. We make sure all our equipment, including our collection of accessories, provides effective results while yielding low charges and great savings.

Three months ago RC Dental introduced their aftermarket dental imaging plates which have since become a worldwide success. This exclusive aftermarket brand of imaging plates possesses the same high quality as other brands, such as Carestream, AGFA, and Fuji, but at a much lower cost.

In the same way a local market offers a generic brand of produce at a lower cost than name brands, RC Imaging was the first to create an exclusive aftermarket product that could perform the same way but save dental businesses money.

Other advantages to RC Dental’s phosphor imaging plates include rapid turn-around and immediate shipping. Due to an extensive inventory management, RC Dental will automatically update their inventory when their products meet a minimum low. They pride themselves on their ability to keep all products in stock so they can have an order shipped the same day it’s made.

An additional advantage to these imaging plates is patient comfort. CR imaging plates fit more comfortably in the patient’s mouth than DR products. Patient comfort is a high priority with RC Dental.

Ready to place an order? Be prepared for an incredible product. Call us today at (800) 528-6311 or visit our website at http://rcdentalimaging.com/

Over the past twenty years, the evolution of imaging as a whole has been extensive. Dental imaging especially has shown remarkable improvement from the early days when it relied solely on film. Dental Tribune reported that digital dental imaging, which immediately transfers dental images to computers rather than to prints, is quickly replacing analog imaging all over the globe. It predicts that by 2016 most dentist offices will use digital imaging.

When dental imaging was first created, X-ray technicians had to retake images many times if the X-rays weren’t correctly exposed the first time. Nowadays, instead of using film, dental imaging includes systems that rely on photostimulable phosphor imaging plates. As a result, patients are exposed to much less radiation. According to the Millennium Research Group, dental imaging now costs less, provides immediate images, and allows patients to view their own dental conditions, which increases the likelihood of corrective measures in their dental care.

With these current advancements in technology, dental hygienists can manipulate the image by zooming in or out, rotating the image, or correcting the contrast. They can conduct thorough, in-depth studies of their patients’ condition and provide more accurate treatments. Thanks to the increases in technology, dental imaging will continue to improve dental care.